"What Do You Mean?" Military Breaks Silence as Amnesty Int'l Says 1,844 Killed in Southeast
- Amnesty International alleged that 1,844 people were unlawfully killed in Nigeria’s South-East between 2021 and 2023, accusing security agencies and other actors of serious rights abuses
- The Defence Headquarters dismissed the claims as baseless, insisting the military operates within the law and does not engage in extrajudicial killings
- Amnesty urged an independent investigation into all alleged abuses and called for justice and remedies for victims in the region
The Defence Headquarters has rejected allegations by Amnesty International that Nigerian troops were involved in the extrajudicial killing of 1,844 people in the South-East between January 2021 and June 2023.
In a report released on Thursday, August 14, titled A Decade of Impunity: Attacks and Unlawful Killings in Southeast Nigeria, Amnesty International accused the Nigerian authorities of enabling a “free-for-all reign of impunity” in the region.
Source: Twitter
The report noted that the southeast region is faced with state and non-state actors, committing serious human rights violations, leaving communities “in fear and devastation.”
Amnesty accuses security agencies and others of abuses
According to Amnesty, the killings were carried out by gunmen, state-backed paramilitaries, vigilantes, criminal gangs, cult groups, and security agencies, including the military and police.
The organisation linked the violence to the government’s clampdown on pro-Biafra protests since August 2015, noting that “unlawful killings, arbitrary arrests, torture, enforced disappearances, and destruction of properties” were common occurrences.
“The government must stop turning a blind eye to the unlawful killings… and ensure all suspected perpetrators are brought to justice, no matter who they are,” said Amnesty’s Nigeria Country Director, Isa Sanusi.
Over 400 killed in Imo, says Amnesty International
In Imo state alone, Amnesty claimed, gunmen killed over 400 people between January 2019 and December 2021, often extorting money from communities during ceremonies and attacking those who resisted.
It further accused the state-backed Ebube Agu paramilitary force of “extrajudicial executions” and destruction of homes.
Many attacks, it said, were blamed on the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its Eastern Security Network (ESN), both of which deny involvement, Vanguard reported
Defence Headquarters dismisses allegations
Responding to the report, the Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj. Gen. Markus Kangye, described the allegations against the military as baseless.
“What do you mean by extrajudicial killing? Is it that soldiers carry their weapons, go to the street and start shooting people? The military is not engaged in any extrajudicial killing in the South-East,” Kangye said.
He argued that Amnesty’s claims were consistent with the organisation’s “long-standing posture towards Nigeria’s military” and stressed that troops in the region operate strictly within the law, Punch reported.
Military addresses veterans’ protest
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On a different matter, Kangye addressed the recent protest by some retired military personnel, saying only a few individuals were involved and that the issue had been resolved by the Military Pensions Board, the Chief of Accounts and Budget at Defence Headquarters, and the Minister of Finance.
Backing this statement, the Director of Defence Information, Brig. Gen. Tukur Gusau, said the Chief of Defence Staff had met on Tuesday, August 13, with a five-man standing committee established by the Ministry of Defence to improve veterans’ welfare.
Amnesty calls for independent investigation
Amnesty International has urged the federal government to conduct “prompt, thorough, independent, impartial, transparent and effective” investigations into all allegations of rights abuses in the South-East and to ensure victims have access to justice and remedies.
Troops kill over 300 top bandit leaders, says Ribadu
Previously, Legit.ng reported that the Nigerian Army has killed more than 300 top bandit leaders in a series of targeted operations, marking a major milestone in the country’s fight against terrorism and armed criminality.
This was revealed by the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, during an interview with the BBC, where he reaffirmed the government’s commitment to restoring peace across troubled parts of the country.
Source: Legit.ng
